DRIVE-IN THEATRES, TECHNOLOGY, AND CULTURAL CHANGE
DRIVE-IN THEATRES, TECHNOLOGY, AND CULTURAL CHANGE

Summary/Abstract: At their peak, in the 1950s, nearly 4,500 drive-in theatres existed in the United States. Rivaled by around 5,500 indoor cinemas today, only 319 drive-ins remain. I contrast how the nature of the audience itself has altered the use of space in drive-in theatres from family viewing environments in the early years to “passion pits” in the 1950s and 1960s, and back to family viewing in more recent decades. Technological changes in projection and sound equipment have also altered the experience of attending drive-in cinemas. In recent years, the costs of transitioning to digital projection have forced many drive-in cinemas out of the industry.

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